Two drug-related calls to The U of M police resulted in three misdemeanor citations and one arrest Sunday at the Richardson Towers South and Robison Hall dormitories.
The calls concerned two seperate reports of possession of marijuana.
According to campus police reports, the first incident occurred at 2:18 a.m. in Robison Hall. Officers responded to a call from a student who said he could smell marijuana coming from room 338. When a student in that room answered the door, the officer inquired as to who was smoking marijuana.
Jason Eric Cottage said he was and pulled both hands out of his pockets at the officers' request, producing a pipe in one hand and a small amount of marijuana and a pack of rolling papers in the other. Several other people were also in the room.
Cottage was issued a misdemeanor citation for simple possession and drug paraphernalia and released.
According to Roger Fowler, director of the Department of Public Safety, reports of possession of marijuana have not been numerous on campus.
"We have had a few incidents, but not many," Fowler said. "These two in the same weekend is unusual."
The second incident, according to the police report, occurred at 7:34 p.m. on the third floor of Richardson Towers South. Officers arrived on the scene and responded to a student's complaint that he could smell marijuana coming from room 328.
Ryan Wiley answered the door where he and William Bradley, the two residents of the room, consented to a search. William Scudere was also in the room, along with other individuals. Both Wiley and Bradley were issued a misdemeanor citation for drug paraphernalia, while Scudere was arrested for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to manufacture/deliver/sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia, with a total of 11.6 grams. The suspects admitted they had used marijuana that evening and the paraphernalia belonged to them. The other individuals in the room were released with no charges.
According to Fowler, a misdemeanor citation is the same thing as being arrested, but the person has to go down and turn themselves in within a certain time. Failure to do so results in a bench warrant being issued for failure to appear. They must then go to court for two counts, and are subject to a warrant for arrest.
Those who do comply will more than likely be released on their own recognizance, and told to return for a court date appearance.
Fowler wants students to know that anyone caught with marijuana will undergo the same treatment.
"They will be arrested in the same way," he said. "They will also have to appear before Judicial Affairs at The University, which could result in being kicked out of school."
